Going forward and beyond {Path of the Aura Ranger: Book I}

X Pikachu's P.O.V

"That's so cool!" I exclaimed. "I want to do that!"

"If only it hadn't lowered Dawn's points another fourth," Ash replied with a grimace. "Now that I think about it, it's similar to the Electro Ball-Iron Tail combo that Pachirisu and Dawn used against Mimikyu and Jessie."

"Revenge is a plate better served cold," Glameow purred. "Dawn realized it as well," she pointed at Dawn's affronted expression with her tail in an almost lazy and uncaring way, but I could see the worry in her body expression.

"Vileplume, Razor Leaf! Piplup, Ice Beam!" Dawn was quick for the counterattack, and as soon as her pokemon were back on her feet, she dissolved the clones with frozen leaf blades. Lowering Jessie's points to the same as hers. "Piplup, Peck!" Vileplume, Petal Blizard!"

Piplup's beak elongated from contained power, he jumped and twirled in the air, with the petals following him close-by. It was a nice combo and the judges thought so, which left Jessie with only one-third of her points left. However, before Piplup could land the attack, Arbok and Mime Jr counterattacked with a Psyshock-Dark Pulse combo, that shredded the petals and sent Piplup realing back towards Vileplume. Now, once again, both coordinators had the same amount of points.

"She has grown up so fast," Johanna commented with a proud smile. "Being able to keep up like this against a trainer of Jessilina's caliber... my little girl is no longer a little girl."

"Arbok, Crunch! Mime Jr, Psychic!" Jessie ordered, with a victorious smirk, and Arbok was already flying forward with beautiful psychic wings.

However, before the attack could land, the buzzer went off.

Everyone froze.

I rapidly looked towards the screen and... my ears lowered in disappointment, while James and Meowth jumped in celebration.

"Only a few points," Riley commented in disbelief, shaking his head.

"The hit did not land, but the appeal was enough to discount a few points from Dawn... and that was all Jessie needed," Ash replied with a bemused smile.

"Jessie is going through!" James and Meowth continued to celebrate.

"It was a wonderful battle," Johanna said, standing up and clapping for her daughter and Jessie.

Soon we followed her example, and after us so did the rest of the crowd. Dawn looked up in shock, she stood there frozen for a minute, before she smiled and bowed at us. She then kneeled and hugged her pokemon with teary eyes. Jessie approached her and extended a hand. Dawn stood up and shook it, they were both standing proud and smiling.

As they should, I thought still clapping. Dawn made an excellent job for her first Grand Festival and Jessie has finally managed to get to the finals. They both did a wonderful job!

"Magnifique!" Fantina exclaimed. "Such sportsmanship! Je l'aime!"

"I better go down and be there for Dawn," Johanna told us with a small smile, as she stood up.

"Let me come with you," Ash offered.

"No, she needs to start learning that she won't have you every time things do not go as she planned," Johanna stopped him, as Glameow jumped down the railing to be with her trainer. "Stay and be there for your friends, I'll deal with it. It is my job, after all, I am her mother."

"Send her our regard," Ash replied with a smile.

"You good?" I asked my trainer, as we watched Johanna leave.